Love is Blind
by GarnetMonsoon
Summary: A short story entailing Harry and Hermione's first two Hogwarts years, setting the stage for their friendship to become love. They can't see it, even though just about everyone else can. Mostly compliant with cannon. Sequel in the works. Fluffy at the end.
1. Fortifying Foundation

Author's note: This is a short story I want to make that will be a prequel to a Harmony covering fourth year. However, it'll be a long time before that comes out, and I won't publish it until it's finished, and I probably won't update on a regular basis, what with college and all. But here you go! Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own the Harry Potter series.

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Chapter One: Fortifying Foundation

They say, "Love is blind." In most cases, this refers to the inability of a person to clearly see the faults in someone that they are romantically interested in. But for Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, it means something else. This became apparent to the teachers at Hogwarts over the years, specifically at the end of Harry and Hermione's second year.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we should probably explain why. Let me take you back to September 1st, 1991.

A young boy with striking green eyes, wild raven hair, and a lightning-bolt shaped scar was sitting in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express with his new friend, Ron Weasly. Soon after they had introduced themselves to each other, a young girl opened the door of the compartment. Now this girl, at first glance, would not seem very special. In fact, she looked quite plain. Bushy hair, buck teeth. But underneath that lay a very wonderful girl, who would soon become someone very important to Harry.

During their first months at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron never really spoke much to little Hermione. In fact, they barely even liked her at all. To be honestly, actually, Ron very much disliked her, going so far as to even call her a "nightmare". But that changed very quickly on Halloween night.

Quirinus Quirrell, the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts had burst into the Great Hall during the feast, announcing that a troll was running amok in the school dungeons – after which he promptly fell to the ground like a bag of stones, unconscious. Harry remembered that Hermione was in those very dungeons, crying over Ron's comment. The two boys rushed to save her.

After a long and frantic battle, they actually managed to defeat it. Hermione returned their favor by covering up for them. _Hermione Granger_, lying to a teacher! In all her life, she probably never imagined herself doing this. But in years to come, she would look back on that moment and not regret it. Because after that incident, Hermione became much closer to the two boys. They realized that she was only trying to help, after all.

It all sounds absolutely crazy. Three children battling a troll! Things _could not_ get anymore dangerous, right? Wrong.

At the end of his first year, Harry Potter did something most wizards and witches would never imagine in their wildest dreams – or nightmares. He fought against Voldemort himself, and survived.

Of course, he could not have done it without his two close friends, Ron and Hermione. Hermione got them out of the Devil's Snare. Ron got them trough the chess-board stage, bravely sacrificing himself in the process.

"_Yes...it's the only way...I've got the be taken." _

Harry and Hermione fought against him on this, but he was adamant.

"_That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices!"_

So the queen took Ron. She swung her heavy stone sword at him, knocking onto the cold, hard ground. He lay in a pile of rubbish, knocked out. Once they had finished the game, they ran to his side.

Harry requested that Hermione stay behind to take care of Ron, and get help. He would go forward, and face the danger ahead.

_Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him. _

"_Hermione!"_

"_Harry – you're a great wizard, you know."_

"_I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed as she let go of him._

"_Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship, and bravery and – oh Harry – be careful!"_

And so he left her, afraid but determined, to finish what he could. To put up the best fight he could, because he was the only one who could do it. At least, it certainly seemed that way.

So he fought. It was not Snape who wanted the stone, as they had thought. It was Quirrell, their stuttering, laughing-stock-of-a-professor. And at the same time, it was not. For he was being controlled by Voldemort.

With the help of Dumbledore, the Mirror of Erised, and Lily Potter, Harry was able to walk away from that encounter alive.

By the end of their first year at Hogwarts, it was apparent to all the professors that this "Golden Trio" had forged a very special bond. By this time, it was pure friendship. However, that would change.

Harry Potter was not having a good year. Aside from having to put up with the usual – the horrid Dursley's, Snape, Malfoy, and all that. No, it was pretty ruddy, right from the start. During the entire Summer holiday, Harry had no word from his friends. During all of his slaving away at his relatives' home, (it wasn't much of a home to him, that's for sure!) they did not send him any letters. To top it off, they seemed to have forgotten his birthday.

But it got worse. _And weirder._

Harry went to his room and shut the door at the end of one of those hot, Summer days. The plan was that downstairs, his aunt, uncle, and cousin would greet their dinner guests, and show them a perfectly lovely and quite normal time. But Harry's luck was conspiring against him.

Shutting the door, he turned around to find some..._thing_...sitting on his bed. _Sitting on his bed! _The conversation he had with Dobby the house-elf left him with a very odd warning and a letter from the Ministry of Magic. And of course, a horrified aunt and a purple-faced uncle.

Oh, but it didn't end there. Turns out that he did get letters, but Dobby was hiding them. That being said, he was very unprepared when Ron showed up outside his window in a _flying car._

Fast-forward through the blocked barrier incident, crashing into a murderous tree, a furious Potions Master, and a near expulsion, Harry began his second year at Hogwarts.

But the rest of the year was just as strange.

Of course, the legendary Chamber of Secrets is opened. Then, during a much-awaited dueling club meeting, all of Hogwarts (and Harry himself) found out that Harry Potter was a Parselmouth. The entire school began to think that Harry was some sort of dark wizard, and they pretty much shunned him. Mostly everyone becomes wary of Harry Potter, and some believe that he is the heir of Slytherin – the one who opened the Chamber. Except for Ron and Hermione. Being the good friends they are, they stay by his side, and help him through it. _"It'll be okay," _he thinks to himself. _"I can get through this. __**We **__can get through this."_

Of course, Harry's luck once again is conspiring against him. He is also hearing voices in the walls uttering psychopathic threats. Students are being petrified. Hagrid and Dumbledore have to leave Hogwarts.

But one thing had shaken Harry like the others did not.

Hermione Granger had been petrified.

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Some of the italicized spoken dialogue is quoted from the books. Like, the lines from Ron, and the scene between Harry and Hermione.

I realize this chapter must have been quite boring. However, I'm just trying to set the stage for the actual part that I'm going to write, so bear with me.

Next chapter is where the real story begins.


	2. Midnight Musings

Hello, and thanks for sticking with my story! This is chapter two, and where things will pick up.

Diclaimer: Once again, I own nothing of Harry Potter.

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Chapter Two: Midnight Musings

The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Quidditch teams were huddled together on the pitch, frantically going over their last-minute game plans. Adrenaline pumping, Harry grabbed his Nimbus 2000 and prepared to mount. Nothing could take his mind off of this game. Except for for the unusual sight he saw next. Professor McGonagall was storming towards the field, megaphone in hand. She announced that the game was canceled, and that all students were to report to their House common rooms. Almost all students, that is.

"_Potter, I think you'd better come with me..." _She said, frowning.

Harry followed McGonagall, wondering where they were going. _"Am I in trouble? Who's office are we going to? Dumbledore's?" _ He thought to himself.

She led Harry and Ron into the Hospital Wing. He looked around the room, eyes grazing over the petrified students that lay in their beds, along with Mrs. Norris. The entire room seemed to emit an atmosphere of eerie, sorrow and worry.

"_This will be a bit of a shock. There has been another attack...another __**double**__ attack." _ McGonagall said. As she stepped aside, Harry beheld a sight that made the world stop spinning. Everything froze, and he forgot how to speak.

"_**Hermione**__!" Ron groaned._

Harry had tried to do the same. But her name stuck in his throat, weighed down by the dread he felt in the pit of his gut. An inexplicable force pulling down relentlessly, making him sick to his stomach. He could barely even think straight, let alone talk. He felt breathless. McGonagall then led them back to the Gryffindor common room. The entire trip passed in a blur for Harry. He was sure that if someone had not been with him, he would not have even made it to the tower on his own. The severity of what had happened began to sink in, and the fog around his brain lifted some. Harry decided to go to bed early, as he was unable to concentrate on his homework.

Even as he lay in bed, he couldn't stop picturing her frozen, cold, and alone in the Hospital Wing. He knew he would not be able to sleep that night. He looked towards his trunk, his decision made. The dormitory was pitch-black, all other boys peacefully asleep. Harry got out of his bed slowly, and put on his robes over his pajamas. He pulled his shoes out from under his bed, and slipped them on. Trying to make as little noise as possible, so as not to awaken his dorm-mates, he nearly tip-toed to the foot of his bed, where his trunk was.

He grabbed the handle, and slowly opened the lid.

_Crrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea aaaaaaaaaakk!_

He winced at the high-pitched noise coming from the hinges. Pausing abruptly, he held his breath and stole a glance at the others. Ron began shuffling in his bed.

"_Great, I woke him up."_ As odd as it was, he did not want Ron to go with him. He felt as though he needed to do this alone. Ron merely flipped over, mumbled something indiscernible, and resumed snoring softly.

Harry let out a slow sigh in relief, his heart pounding against his ribs. With slightly shaking hands, he continued to open the trunk. Luckily, it opted to stay quiet this time.

Slowly and deliberately, he sifted through the cornucopia of unorganized items. He passed books, quills, clothes, and balled up pieces of parchment with doodles on them. He had to find something to do in History of Magic; he certainly was not able to pay attention to the lectures. Harry brushed all of these aside, as it was impossible to think of anything besides... T_here it is!_

He finally found what he was searching for: his Invisibility Cloak. He carefully drew it out from under the rubbish, smiling lightly. He knew that he should not do what he was planning on doing, but he could not stop himself. He needed to see Hermione.

_Hermione._ Thinking of her, he smiled a bit more. If she knew that he was planning on sneaking out of the dorms at night, especially when things were so dangerous, she would be furious. He could almost hear her, hands on her hips, lips pursed.

"_Harry James Potter! You __**know **__how dangerous it is to be in the castle alone! Don't be so ridiculous; you can just visit me in the morning! It's not like I'm going anywhere, is it? That's the whole meaning of the word 'petrified', you know. 'To become frozen in a stone-like state; rigid and unmoving.'"_

"_That's Hermione for you," _he thought, smirking good-naturedly._ "Always level-headed."_

He knew that what he had planned was the complete opposite. It was impulsive, poorly thought-out, risky, and possible unnecessary. Who knew if she would even know he was there? Still, he needed to see her. He needed to be with her. He knew that much.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind from his day-dream. _But it's not really a day-dream, is it? I mean, it's night._ His face fell into a bitter, sad smile. _Hermione would know, I bet. _ Getting up off the dusty floor, he threw the cloak over his head, and stepped lightly towards the door. Reaching out his – once again – shaking hands, he grasped the metal doorknob. The cool metal was like a shock to his warm hands, but also appreciated.

"_Just take a deep breath, Harry."_ He obeyed his inner conscience. _ "It's not like you haven't done this before. Nothing is different."_ But it _was_ different. He was not sneaking out to go into the restricted section of the library, or duel a first-year Malfoy, which now seemed mundane. No, he was venturing out into a maze of empty hallways, in which a monster was most likely patrolling along, waiting to find a new victim. To top it off, he was going to see his close friend, who was struck by the monster's powers herself. Once again, he thought of her, alone and helpless in the Infirmary. Nothing could stop him. It was as though his body was moving without needing to think.

He padded down the stairs, into the empty common room. A large clock on the wall displayed the time, 12: 13 a.m. Normally, there would be a few older students left, lounging about studying, watching the fire, or talk softly among themselves. But with the stress that was brought about by the opening of the Chamber, they had retreated to the safety of their own beds. As he continued on, he remembered sneaking out in his first year. How both times, someone had tried to stop him. First, Hermione, and then Neville. But Neville was asleep, and Hermione was not even in the tower.

Gulping at that thought, he continued his walk to the portrait. As it swung open, the Fat Lady did not wake. Harry's mood brightened a bit with this bit of good fortune.

Walking through the corridors, Harry was a bit confused. He imagined that he would feel much more scared. True, he _was_ scared, but his mind was occupied by the task he had set himself to; to get to Hermione. He almost felt numb, and the world felt quiet and still. Once again, the corridors were a blur to him, though not by shock this time. It was as though someone had seared her onto his brain. The only thing he could think of was seeing her. For a short moment, he allowed himself the fantasy that when he saw her, she would be okay. She would smile at him again, start blathering on about some book she read in the library...

But he knew she would not do any of this. He knew she would lay there, still and rigid, not answering him or even looking at him. Because she could not. _ I need to find this monster. I need to find out how to help Hermione. _He almost felt as though he had failed her. He could not protect her, and now he did not even know how to help her.

Finally, he had reached the large double-doors of the Infirmary. Cautiously, he looked around, making sure that no one was watching. Once he was sure everything was clear, he pushed the heavy door open, creating just enough space for him to walk through.

It felt cold. Trying to find his way in the darkness, he hurried to Hermione's bed, standing beside her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." He whispered. He began to choke up, fear finally setting in.

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to help you. I don't know if I can. They're saying that they're going to close Hogwarts." He took a shaky breath. "But I they can't! Hogwarts is my home! And I don't want to loose you or Ron." He thought further. "I can't talk with you, but at least right now, I can see you. I'm already starting to feel more alone without hearing your voice. I couldn't take it if I could never see you again." He meant this completely. Even now, he felt like someone had dropped a heavy weight on his chest. He was suffocating, drowning, in this worry and isolation. True, he did have Ron, but Hermione was just as important to him as Ron was. At the same time, Hermione knew him in a way that Ron did not, though he could not place his finger on how.

He grabbed her hand, running his thumb over it.

"I wish you could help me, Hermione. We need you. _I _need you." He began to choke up again, and took a breath, calming himself. Before could continue his one-sided conversation, he noticed something. Her hand...it felt...odd. She was holding something!

Digging the object from her loosely closed fist, he squinted in the darkness, trying to see what it was.

"_A piece of paper?" _ He thought. He unfurled it, squinting again to read what it said. After a few seconds, he felt happier than he had felt in a very long time.

"Hermione! You really are brilliant!" He laughed aloud. At long last, he felt like he could do something. Flashing her a glowing smile, he rushed back to the House common room, eager to see morning so that he could share her discovery – their discovery? – with Ron.

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Okay, so there's chapter three. I hope it got more interesting. Next chapter will not cover his adventures with Ron, I don't think. But I want it to be a surprise. Thanks for reading!


	3. Radiant Reunion

Here's chapter three. Once again, I own nothing. Enjoy!

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Chapter Three: Radiant Reunion

Throughout the weeks following Hermione's petrification, Harry was her most frequent visitor. Sometimes, Ron would accompany him. Harry was not sure which was worse off, Hermione or Ron, because it had affected Ron, too. As much as they fought, Ron did care about Hermione. But Ron seemed to be doing well with it. He could take his mind off of it and laugh. Harry laughed with him, but she was always there in the back of his mind. He was not sure if Ron was the same way; he never really asked. They did not talk much about it. Ron was never particularly loquacious or even verbal to begin with. Harry was not really sure how to begin to talk about it, or if he even wanted to.

But every few days, if not every day, Harry would visit her and replace the flowers in the vase at her bedside. He would tell her about what had happened that day, and he made sure to go over what they learned in class. He knew that if Hermione was aware at this point, loosing this much class would practically kill her.

Over these weeks, Harry and Ron eventually figured out the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and the hidden voices in the walls. The whole thing was a complete mess, with Tom Riddle, Ginny, Lockheart, the Basilisk, Aragog... Hagrid going to Azkaban! Yes, that's right, my friends. Another crazy year at Hogwarts is coming to a close.

Harry was sitting in the Great Hall, Ron at his right, eating everything in sight as usual. The air seemed brighter and lighter. Just about everyone had a small smile on their faces. Except Snape, of course. He never smiled. Harry's eyes roamed the sight in front of him: his house-mates having a good time. Everything was going to be okay. Hogwarts was not going to close, and everyone was safe again. Across from him, Neville got his attention. Pointing at the doors of the Great Hall, he only had to say one thing.

"Look Harry!" He exclaimed with a smile.

Both Harry and Ron looked in the direction that Neville was pointing, smiles slowly breaking out on their faces. Harry did not think he could smile any wider. He leaned in the aisle to get a better view.

There was Hermione. Cured at last, a radiant smile on her cherub-like face. She did not even say a word, but locked her eyes on Harry. She began bounding down the isle, her bushy hair bouncing all over the place. But she did not care about her hair. She only cared about one thing.

She lauched herself into Harry's arms, still grinning. Harry could not stop grinning, either. Tightening his hold on her, they swayed on the spot from the impact of their embrace. In years to come, Harry would look back on this moment as one of the happiest in his lifetime.

"She's okay! Everything's okay." He thought. Words could not express the pure ecstasy that he felt in that moment. "Finally, this is all over!" He thought, relieved of the re-discovered safety.

But then, everything was just beginning. Harry and Hermione would grow even closer. But that is a story for another time.

The Hogwarts professors watched this scene unfold before them, all with different thoughts. Dumbledore, ever-knowing, smiled to himself, eyes twinkling, wondering about what would be in the years to come for the young pair. Sprout was absolutely joyous at the adorable picture of the two innocent children clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. McGonagall allowed her features to soften, giving a small but genuine smile. Flitwick smiled as well, just from looking at their faces. Snape was, as usual, disdainful. He sneered at the open, obnoxious display of their puppy-love.

Many of the students had similar reactions as the professors. The Slytherins tended to feel indifferent, or agree with Snape. Everyone in the hall could see what Harry and Hermione (and even Ron) were blind to. Yes, they had a special bond, but it was growing into something more than that. But who could blame them? After all, they are only twelve years old.

And as the saying goes, "Love is blind."

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The end! Hope you all liked it, and it wasn't cliched.

At sometime, I really want to write a story that will follow this one, but take place in their fourth year.

Please leave a review, even if it's to tell me where I went wrong, or if you think I could have improved on something. I love all types of feedback.

Thanks for reading!


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